SCP-1332
Involuntary Shapeshifting
SCP-1332-B in transition to SCP-1332-C
Special Containment Procedures
Vials containing samples of SCP-1332-A are to be hermetically sealed and kept in refrigerated storage. Specimens of SCP 1332-B are to be contained in sealed holding cells and monitored for transition to 1332-C. These cells are to be monitored remotely and inspected daily for damage. In the event of a breach by SCP 1332-C, the damaged holding cell and the surrounding area are to be sterilized via a controlled thermobaric explosion to limit the possibilities of further contagion.
Description
In its culture state, designated SCP-1332-A, SCP-1332 is a thick, metallic gray paste, similar in color and sheen to mercury. Its semisolid state renders airborne transmission impossible; to date, all instances of infection have resulted from direct, unprotected handling of SCP-1332-A or injuries caused by unusually violent instances of SCP-1332-B and-C.
When a living being becomes infected with SCP-1332 (usually through direct exposure to subcutaneous tissue via cuts and scrapes), it begins the transformation to SCP-1332-B. This transformation manifests externally as flu-like symptoms (soreness, exhaustion, nausea) that subside over the course of two (2) to three (3) days. During this period, SCP-1332 converts the subject's bone and muscular structure into an amorphous mass, superficially resembling SCP-1332-A. Despite being essentially homogeneous, the mass within SCP-1332-B still performs all the functions of the replaced systems, such as maintaining structure, allowing movement and reflexive actions, and protecting vulnerable organs from damage.
The subject's nervous system remains intact, though somewhat displaced by the subject's internal changes. The autonomic nervous system seems to maintain the density and structure of the mass, allowing SCP-1332-B to maintain the appropriate shape. It is hypotheically possible for specimens of SCP-1332-B to live fully normal lives without ever becoming aware of their condition.
SCP-1332-C manifests in one of two ways: SCP-1332-B becoming aware of the nature of their condition or SCP-1332-B attempting to undertake a physical activity they are unaccustomed to. Either situation causes the autonomic nervous system to momentarily cease its usual functions as SCP-1332-B attempts to consciously exert control over their own body. In the majority of cases, this leads to a complete structural collapse of the subject's internal support systems. It is hypothesized that this is a result of subjects being unable to maintain the level of conscious control needed to keep their natural shapes. This frequently leads to the death of the subject through internal hemorrhaging and bruising (due to unprotected organs striking the ground) or suffocation (caused by the lungs and esophagus becoming unable to expand due to sudden weight). In rare instances, subjects will manage to regain some control over their own structure, which very frequently leads to massive lacerations and blood loss as the panicked subject inadvertently pierces their own skin from within as they fight to control their shape.
On the rare occasion a subject survives this collapse, they are designated SCP-1332-C and are to be relocated as described in Containment Procedures, above. Specimens of SCP-1332-C rarely survive longer than two or three days due to their new physiology rendering eating and drinking difficult (if not impossible), but observation has suggested that SCP-1332-C retains at least some of its human cognitive abilities. The amount varies from subject to subject (the transformation from SCP-1332-B to -C often results in trauma directly to the brain), but subjects have been shown to attempt to move towards persons and objects familiar to them, to retreat from examples of phobias specific to the subject, and have on occasion attempted to embrace personnel they perceive as friendly.